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Positive news. Happy Stories. Unsung Heroes.Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:30:45 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2https://www.thebetterindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/TBI_Logo_BD-125x125.jpgThe Better Indiahttps://www.thebetterindia.com
3232TheBetterIndiahttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesAdd to Any Feed ReaderStay updated with all the latest articles posted on The Better India! Just subscribe to our RSS feed to any of your favourite content readers and get easy updates.How Two Struggling Women Farmers Became Mentors to Thousands More in Maharashtrahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/IcXyTUvxlwY/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116789/maharashtra-women-farmers-mentor-agriculture/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 13:30:45 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116789Godavari Dange was married off when she was 15 years old. She had two kids, and while they were still very young, she lost her husband to an accident.

For a year, there seemed to be no hope for her future. She only left her house when it was absolutely necessary, or not at all. She had only studied till class 7, and couldn’t sustain herself either. What was she to do?

Like Godavari, Kamal Kumbhar too was limited to just household chores. With the way her life was going, it seemed like she would be a farm labourer all her life.

The two had never met before. However, what both Godavari and Kamal did not know at that time was how similar their journeys were going to be.

Godavari lived in one of the most climate threatened regions of Maharashtra. It was there that she became a part of a women’s self-help group by Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP). Here, she received the training that would change her life.

Through her constant interaction with other women, Godavari gained a lot of insight.

Godavari Dange

From learning how to speak, farm and acquiring leadership skills, she was soon mobilising other women in various SHGs. From health, nutrition and sanitation to livelihoods – she gained expertise on several issues.

Godavari recounts how in the drought-hit districts of Maharashtra, they saw people living like animals, with nothing to eat and no way to sustain themselves. Severe drought had hit in the Marathwada region in 2012 to 2015.

As a solution to combat the crisis, Godavari mobilised thousands of women farmers to come together and grow vegetables and food crops to improve food security.

A year later, she founded the first women’s federation to work on the development of women’s economic and leadership skills. Today, the federation has more than 5,000 members.

Kamal, on the other hand, began with a small business of selling bangles. She too changed her life by joining the green energy and climate network of SSP. At first, she began with a clean energy business, the success of which enabled her to buy land and expand her farm from 1 to 5 acres.

And this was not the only business she succeeded in. She now has several agri-allied and renewable energy businesses and has lit up over 3,000 homes with solar-powered devices.

Today, the 37-year-old is a mentor to 5,000 rural women and helps them start small businesses.

Kamal Kumbhar

With the help of Swayam Shikshan Prayog, which empowers grassroots women’s collectives, the two ordinary farmers now help thousands of other women become self-sufficient.

Recently, SSP was the only organisation from India to receive the Equator Award 2017. They were among 15 other winners from different countries to get the award. To receive it, they sent Godavari and Kamal to the UN General Assembly in New York.

The organisation received this award for its climate-resilient farming model, which makes agriculture viable for marginal farming households through various innovative practices.

Godavari was ecstatic to be in New York to receive the award.

“It’s a very big award, and I’m very happy that we have been able to make farming possible in a drought-hit area. It’s all because of the women that we were able to do it,” Godavari told The Better India.

]]>https://www.thebetterindia.com/116789/maharashtra-women-farmers-mentor-agriculture/feed/0https://www.thebetterindia.com/116789/maharashtra-women-farmers-mentor-agriculture/A Coffee That Benefits the Consumer, Producer, and Animals – Find Out Morehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/MbcOtG3tNXw/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116787/wild-kaapi-conservation-coffee-wildlife-animals/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 13:17:02 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116787When conservation meets coffee, it serves as a wake up call for more than just the morning blues.

Dr. Karanth of Wildlife Conservation Society and the Centre for Wildlife Studies has spent almost two decades researching and studying wildlife conservation. Sosale is an entrepreneur who has served on the board of companies ranging from manufacturing and education to software analytics. As an ardent coffee lover, Wild Kaapi, he says, is a dream come true project.

Wild Kaapi, Dr. Karanth shares, is a product of a research project she did with Dr. Paul Robbins- Director of The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dr. Ashwini Chhatre, Senior Research Fellow at the Indian School of Business.

“In 2012 we got a US National Science Foundation research grant and we launched a three year research project which focused on bird and amphibian diversity in coffee, rubber, and areca farms in the Western Ghats. We picked coffee, rubber, and areca because they are the largest grown commodity crops in Karnataka’s Western Ghats. We surveyed 187 farms to link how individual holders are managing land, labor, chemical inputs, and shade lopping of trees and the subsequent outcomes of these activities for biodiversity specifically for birds and amphibians. ”

Dr. Karanth adds that a significant outcome of the study was that coffee farms are very wildlife friendly compared to the other two commodity crops. The idea behind setting up Wild Kaapi was to find a way to keep them wildlife friendly, reduce deforestation, minimize the usage of chemical inputs, implement good labour practices and at the same incentivize the process for the farmers.

Wild Kaapi sells single origin coffees from four such farms located in and around the Chikmagalur district, Karnataka. These farms are certified by the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network, based on rigorous scientific audits conducted by a team of scientists and conservationists.

While biodiversity is the end result they are looking for, the journey, Sosale adds, begins with a good cup of coffee. “At some level, we understand that we cannot have a product which is wildlife friendly but does not taste good. We make sure that all our farms have very high cupping coffee. On the SCAA scale, we ensure that all our coffees are above 82 as a minimum.”

Wild Kaapi coffee beans

The SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) scores coffee based on attributes such as acidity, uniformity, flavor, aftertaste, aroma, body, balance, sweetness and cleanliness. A score of 80 and above is considered specialty coffee.

Sosale goes on to share that the team first thought they would help farmers get certified and get a premium for the same. However, on interacting with many farmers, they realized that certification alone did not do much for them in terms of monetary gains. “Farmers were skeptical about certification itself. Monetary gains, if any, were offset by the amount of investment they had to do on their farms to keep the certification. Our plans shifted from certification to marketing to a full-fledged coffee company that helps with all the steps,” says Sosale.

After four years of groundwork (including the study), Wild Kaapi opened its store to consumers in June 2017. Wild Kaapi’s website today, is home to five wildlife friendly coffees that are described not just by the farm source, beans, and flavors but also by the species they help protect. This multi-species approach, Dr. Karanth says, is to ensure that the basic message of preserving wildlife is conveyed, and different farms get the opportunity to get certified. “The scientific audits are done for birds, butterflies, trees, amphibians, and mammals.

The sensitivities of these species are different, and so are their needs. If one farm is rich in butterflies, another farm might be rich in birds. By covering all these species, we are giving different farms the opportunity to get certified and at the same time spreading a stronger conservation message.”

Wild Kaapi’s Instagram page can be easily mistaken for a wildlife photographer’s online portfolio. With tastefully captured images of species such as the “Red Whiskered Bulbuls,” “Malabar Parakeets,” and “Blue Mormon Butterflies,” among others, this page is a visual treat. This is one way, the team hopes to capture the consumer’s attention and narrate the story behind the brews.

“It is a big challenge for us. How do we get these stories across to the consumers? In the few months we have begun selling coffee, we have tried to do that by showcasing these images of the species which are on the farms we work with,” says Sosale.

The other challenge, Sosale adds, is increasing appreciation for good coffee. “Coffee is a deeply personal experience, and very few people here drink their coffee black. This works as a disadvantage for us because it is difficult to describe the qualities of good coffee if you don’t drink it black. The market is small and niche at this point, but with many companies pushing the envelope, we do hope to see the kind of change we see with beer and whiskey. We are lucky to be here at a time when people have begun to appreciate good coffee,” he says.

Wild Kaapi hopes to create a model where more products with a wild streak find their place. The message in the end though, the team insists, will be the same. Products that benefit the producer, the consumer and the others who call these farms – home.

]]>https://www.thebetterindia.com/116787/wild-kaapi-conservation-coffee-wildlife-animals/feed/0https://www.thebetterindia.com/116787/wild-kaapi-conservation-coffee-wildlife-animals/English, Math Training: How a Mumbai Org is Uplifting Hearing Impaired Kidshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/OgPS71xulbo/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116761/teach-mumbai-org-hearing-impaired-education-english-math/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 12:54:56 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116761TEACH, or the Training and Educational Centre for Hearing impaired is an initiative that helps deaf students from vernacular medium schools. It also assists them with higher education and professional advice.

Students, who have studied in vernacular languages, are trained for three years in English & Maths, starting from grade 10, which prepares them for their higher secondary exams (H.S.C) in English.

The criteria to appear in the H.S.C exam in the Maharashtra Board is to clear the English language exam in the S.S.C boards. However, members of TEACH realized that most of these students were taught the equivalent of grade 1 or 2 English and hence, were not equipped to take the H.S.C examination.

Students learning at a TEACH centre.

TEACH also partners with individual schools to teach kids from grade 7 upwards, to supplement their existing syllabus.

Since TEACH aspires to be the stepping stone for educational success today and tomorrow; the team strategised to reach out to the students in schools and teach them English.

Learning English in school will help them save the first year from the three-year program of higher education. English being the universal language of communication, our aim through ELP is to help the students have a strong English written communication and the required knowledge to lead their life independently.

There are very few deaf people employed in corporate or government jobs as not many qualify/ meet the criteria to be placed in these organisations. The differently abled quota (job) for deaf goes unclaimed as they do not meet the necessary educational qualification for these opportunities.

TEACH wants deaf children to use the opportunity and be eligible for jobs that can have them placed in government & corporate jobs.

They implement the Indian Sign Language (ISL) in their teaching and communication with the students.

The initiative adopts the methodology of “Total Communication” a blend of sign language and oral communication for educating children.

Also, it involves volunteers from top B-schools and colleges well equipped with knowledge sharing skills and will to support.

The initial plan is to reach out to the children all over Mumbai and then extend its reach to the rest of the nation.

By Heena Singh

The team is working and tapping in to each and every possible kind of donation, funding and
means to raise funds which will encourage the students to dream a better future. Along with
reaching out to students in Mumbai, TEACH plans to spread its footprint across cities in the near
future to cater to as many students as possible. To do so they will need help, support, contribution
and encouragement from all quarters.

]]>https://www.thebetterindia.com/116761/teach-mumbai-org-hearing-impaired-education-english-math/feed/0https://www.thebetterindia.com/116761/teach-mumbai-org-hearing-impaired-education-english-math/In Conversation With Amish Tripathi, The Banker-Turned-Writer Making Mythology Cool Againhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/xL1e3h2ussI/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116730/amish-tripathi-shiva-trilogy-immortal-india-exclusive-interview/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 12:33:53 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116730“The stories of our gods have constantly evolved, retaining the best of the old, but adding in the attractiveness of the new, thus keeping our myths relevant, ever-contemporary and alive,” says author Amish Tripathi, in his first non-fiction book, Immortal India.

With four million copies in print, Amish is the author of fastest selling book series in the history of Indian publishing.

In a free-wheeling conversation, we caught up with the Benaras-born-Mumbai-based man who is redefining the way young Indians look at mythology.

Edited Excerpts:

Q: You were a banker before you became an author. What made you move from number-crunching to writing?

Amish Tripathi: After completing my MBA from IIM-Kolkata, I worked for a few years as a banker before venturing into writing in early 2004. A voracious reader, I had always been fascinated by India’s ancient culture and when an idea for a story in this genre got hold of my soul. I just had to write it. I know it sounds strange but that’s how I was inspired to write a mythological fantasy revolving around the adventures of Lord Shiva.

Written almost entirely during my daily home-to-office commutes, my first book, The Immortals of Meluha, took nearly five years to finish. After it was completed in 2008, I approached every single publisher, big and small, but none of them was ready to publish it. I was told that there was no way this book could sell as young readers were not interested in mythology and religion.

After more than 20 rejections, I decided to self-publish. Within two weeks of its launch, Meluha had hit the country’s bestseller chart. Its humongous success was something I had never expected from my first book!

Q. Your books often carry an inspirational message. Is it a conscious decision?

Amish Tripathi: According to ancient beliefs, a book without some philosophy is like a body without its soul. I strongly believe in this and hence, I do try to include some kind of philosophy or deeper message in my books.

Also, I find mythology to be one of the best sources of philosophy. The roots of the word ‘mythology’ lie in the Greek word ‘mythos’ which denotes a story or set of stories having a significant truth, philosophy or meaning.

Q. What’s the sort of research that goes into your books — from both the mythological and historical point of view?

Amish Tripathi: I love reading and the knowledge I gain through my time spent reading is essentially what forms the foundation of my research. When I am reading, I don’t really think about what and where in the story the information will go.The idea is to let my mind absorb as much information as possible and let it find a place of its own in the natural flow of thoughts that accompany my writing.

One thing I consciously try to do is read as many interpretations and different perspectives as possible. They are all somewhere at the back of my head while I write and they come out in the way Lord Shiva wills it. That’s the way I see it.

Q. What creative purpose do contemporary language and symbols of modernity serve in the ancient settings of your books?

Amish Tripathi: There a few factors involved in this. I tend to write in the language and idiom that I am most comfortable in. Also, I believe that language is the means to an end, and not the end itself. So making the story and its message as easily understandable as possible is important. And using contemporary language and symbols of modernity helps accomplish this.

Another aspect is that the juxtaposition of the modern and the ancient can often give an interesting and unique makeover to an old story. The core remains the same, the soul remains the same, but the packaging can be fresh and new.

For instance, the famous 1996 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet by Baz Luhrmann. While it retains the original Shakespearean dialogue, the film’s setting was modern — with the Montagues and the Capulets represented as warring mafia families and swords replaced with guns!

Q. From tattoos to shirts with embroidered book covers, your books have become a hit among Indian teenagers and 20-somethings, a group that wouldn’t normally read mythology. What do you think is the reason for your immense popularity among young Indians?

Amish Tripathi: Mythology is so deeply ingrained in our genes that most Indian enjoy hearing the stories again and again. So I expected the books to do reasonably well. But yes, their tremendous success was like a dream come true.

Interestingly, the fact that much of my readership falls into the young adult category — between 14-30 years — assures me that the Indian mythology genre will continue to thrive even in the future.

As for the reason behind this success, it remains a suspense to this day. Maybe it was the relatable language, maybe the underlying message, maybe the marketing strategy or maybe the different interpretation of the story. But personally, I believe it is due to the blessing of Lord Shiva.

Q. Long hours of writing require the sustained concentration provided by a daily routine. Can you tell us about the writing rituals that help you the most?

Amish Tripathi: Along with reading, writing is my favourite thing to do. Everything else is a chore. When I write, it’s like I am in a parallel universe, busy recording what I see happening there. And it’s a very special, almost spiritual, experience.

However, while on some days, I write for hours on the trot, there are other days when the words simply don’t flow. On such occasions, instead of getting frustrated, I just shut my laptop and spend the day reading books or watching movies.

As for my daily routine, I am a morning person and begin my day as early as 5.30 am. After reading newspapers and completing my puja, I sit down to write while listening to music — I listen to all kinds except rap. One quirky habit that I have is that I enjoy munching on cream biscuits while writing, especially those in my favourite bourbon and pineapple flavours.

In fact, when a fan came to meet me at home, he brought an entire carton of cream biscuits for me (he had read that I liked eating them while writing). While handing over the box, he asked me to finish my next novel faster now that I had a steady supply of cream biscuits!

Q. What, according to you, is the biggest perk and biggest challenge of being a writer? Also, what is that one moment you treasure most as a writer?

Amish Tripathi: The best part of being a writer is that I now get to buy all the books that I want without worrying about splurging. After all, they count as research!

As for the biggest challenge, it has to be time management. As a writer, it’s tough yet important to ensure that marketing, interviews and other distractions do not eat into the time that should be devoted to writing itself.

While there have many memorable moments in the last few years, the one moment that I will cherish for a lifetime is when I received the first printed copy of my self-published book, Immortals of Meluha. My son was just over a year old back then and seeing him holding a book I had written was a very special feeling.

Q. What can readers expect from you in the future?

Amish Tripathi: Well, I have enough story ideas to keep myself busy for the next few decades! So I plan and hope to keep writing for as long as my books continue to interest readers.

This year, I have released my first non-fiction book, Immortal India, that is a compilation of my thoughts on the challenges India is facing currently. However, fiction is what I love to write, so the next book will be the third part of the Ramchandra series and will be based on Ravan.

I also have ideas for stories on others civilizations like Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Anatolian. In fact, I have even left clues for these in my previous books. So, a future series may just be focused around a character from one of these foreign civilizations!

Q. Any message you would like to give to aspiring writers?

Amish Tripathi: No one can predict what the market will like. So don’t try to write something just because you think it will succeed. Be true to your heart and just write what feels right to you. That’s the best thing you can do for yourself.

As for handling criticism, listening to constructive feedback is important as it helps you grow. At that same time, one should filter out every word or thought thrown at you. It’s unfair and impossible to implement what everyone suggests as that would ultimately mean leading someone else’s life

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
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]]>https://www.thebetterindia.com/116730/amish-tripathi-shiva-trilogy-immortal-india-exclusive-interview/feed/0https://www.thebetterindia.com/116730/amish-tripathi-shiva-trilogy-immortal-india-exclusive-interview/Masters Degree at 97: This Man From UP Has Proved Age Is Just a Number!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/ePVtdhILUU4/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116770/masters-degree-97-man-proved-age-just-number/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 12:00:23 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116770Holding a Master’s degree is no big feat in today’s day and age. But for Bareilly’s Raj Kumar Vaishya, it is indeed a lifetime achievement.

Following the announcement of results for the final year examinations of Masters programme on Monday, Raj Kumar can now proudly call himself a postgraduate degree holder in Economics.

In case you are wondering what is the entire buzz about, Raj Kumar is 97 years old!

Born in 1920, the man had graduated from Agra University all the way back in 1938. And 79 years later, he successfully completed his second innings in higher studies.

His earnest dedication and love for education led to his name finding a place in the Limca Book of Records for being the oldest person in the country to pursue an MA in Economics.

Despite his advanced age, he sought no additional privilege and appeared for the exams like any regular student. Father of three sons, all of whom are retired central government employees, Raj Kumar’s achievement has left even the University officials astounded.

“His zeal and dedication to pursue education is worthy of emulation by one and all”, SP Sinha, who is the University Registrar, told Hindustan Times.

Celebrating his achievement, officials personally went to his residence to congratulate and present him with the mark sheet of the MA examination.

Meanwhile, Raj Kumar’s grandsons rushed home to treat their highflier grandfather with sweets, as soon as they came to know about the results.

The nonagenarian, however, has only one grievance. Having secured second division, he only wishes that had he appeared for the exams earlier; he would have made it in the first division.

“I thank my daughter-in-law Professor Bharti S Kumar, former head of history at Patna University, for regularly standing by my side. She even discontinued watching the serials and movies of her choice on television just to keep me undisturbed,” he told HT.

]]>https://www.thebetterindia.com/116770/masters-degree-97-man-proved-age-just-number/feed/0https://www.thebetterindia.com/116770/masters-degree-97-man-proved-age-just-number/Watch: How These Small Actions at Home Made Veena a Fiery Tennis Starhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/y_Nhr1y6s5k/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116719/veena-story-up-tennis-gender-equality/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 11:20:15 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116719In 2015, The University of Chicago’s Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health (Ci3) embarked upon a multi-year study of adolescents in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Kissa Kahani used narrative-based research methods to explore the role of gender in the everyday lives of young people living in urban slums.

As part of the research, Ci3’s Transmedia Story Lab partnered with local NGOs to develop nearly 30 short digital stories made by the youth.

One of these stories is about Veena, a young woman who worked with the organisation called Project Khel, a venture that uses sports to empower adolescents through life-skills and training programs and a project partner for Kissa Kahani.

Veena’s story provides a glimpse into the life of an empowered Lucknow adolescent. The opportunities afforded to her came from the egalitarian approach her parents took in raising their children; irrespective of their gender.

Both their children were encouraged to fulfil their respective calling and were allowed to compete on the tennis court.

Yet, this story has implications beyond sports, demonstrating what happens when girls are provided equal opportunities to learn and develop. Whether in schools, workplaces, marketplaces or on tennis courts, successes like Veena’s only happen if pathways are created to enable full participation for adolescent girls.

When girls such as Veena achieve, so do their families, the community, and the nation.

She crosses an eerie lane while going back home at midnight. A group of men stand by the sidewalk, undressing her mentally as they stare with unblinking eyes. Her fists clench. Fight or flight – what is she going to do?

Years of flawed social conditioning slowly whisper in the back of her head,

“Look down. Don’t look at them in the eye.”

“Don’t react if they pass any comments or wolf whistle.”

“Don’t argue.”

“Don’t fight back.”

How many times have you heard the same voice go off in your head? Not only in cases of eve-teasing but even otherwise. An argument at home, a fight on the playground, an election on the college campus, a debate in a classroom, or an opinion in a conference room.

“Girls, don’t fight. They are not fit to fight back,” the stereotype keeps echoing no matter what the situation.

But why shouldn’t girls fight back? Nothing should stop them – they are strong, brave, and willing to break all taboos that surround them.

This is the spirit that Reebok’s latest campaign ‘FitToFight’ talks about. Featuring Kangana Ranaut, the campaign is all about unleashing the fighter suppressed inside every Indian woman. It’s about bringing out the strength inside them so they can take control of their lives and not be scared of any situation.

Inspiring every Indian woman to bring out her latent inner strength, Kangana encourages them to fight back. “You may not have done this before. So make it a reason to do it all the more,” she says, metaphorically playing the inner strength of the protagonist in the film.

Step up. Speak Up. No more frowning, toughen up and train yourself. Gone are the days when damsels in distress awaited to be rescued. You are your own hero. Be your own hero!

The next time a little voice in your head tells you to back down, remember her words,

“#GirlsFight. They are #FitToFight. Are you ready to fight more and be more?”

Ever been in a situation where you had to fight for yourself. Let us know about your act of bravery in the comments below. You can also share your story on social media with #fittofight or write to kangana.ranaut@reebok.in

]]>https://www.thebetterindia.com/115994/kangana-reebok-girldontfight-fittofight/feed/0https://www.thebetterindia.com/115994/kangana-reebok-girldontfight-fittofight/10 Years, 400 Trees: How One Man Is Bringing Back Navi Mumbai’s Green Coverhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/CfiOLP07hX8/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116751/10-years-400-trees-how-one-man-is-bringing-back-navi-mumbais-green-cover/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 10:11:04 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116751Development and infrastructure projects do change the face of a city but at the price of its forest cover.

With the increasing pace that trees are facing the axe in the name of public interest, we fail to recognize the environmental perils that await us – or we choose to comfortably ignore it.

But one man from Navi Mumbai is doing everything in his capacity to make the city green again. After having planted more than 400 saplings across the city in last ten years, Vikas Shivaji Chavan keeps a track on their growth as well.

The 39-year-old, who works in the advertising field, donned the green crusader cape in 2007 when he decided to render a two-wheeler parking lot at Central Plaza in Navi Mumbai with greenery.

Planting more than 60 saplings between intersections and medians where the bikes parked, Vikas nurtured them with regular watering and care. With constant nurturing, he stated that close 70-80 per cent of his plantations had survived the sun and rain.

“The slow growth of a sapling into a plant and then a tree is the way of life. This gave me the inspiration and the passion to go ahead with at least one plantation weekly for the past ten years. With growing urbanisation and development, the idea was to protect the environment, possibly in the most basic manner, by planting trees,” said Vikas told Hindustan Times.

Following the success of his first plantation drive, he took to roads and streets and planted along traffic medians, dividers, parks and open spaces at Cycle Pay and Park, Vashi, Inorbit Mall, Bonkode, Bhumiputra Maidan, Akashganga Society, Nisarg Udayan, Koparkhairane and Navi Mumbai.

He even went as far as the Eastern Expressway from Nahur and carried his green operations all the way up to Ghatkopar and Vikhroli.

Supporting him in his crusade is Laxman Kadam, a retired banker from Navi Mumbai, who helps Vikas plant saplings as and when he can. “For me, planting these saplings is equivalent to our prayers to the Almighty. Chavan helped me do that,” he said. In fact, Vikas has found random people watering the plants that he had once planted.

Spending a total of ₹5,000 for the equipment, the first round of saplings planted by Vikas were offered by Vayjanti Joshi from Nerul for free. Following which, he started buying the plants from a nursery in Kalyan.

The interesting aspect in Vikas’s initiative is that he plants only those saplings that fall under the indigenous category and has so far planted around 60 different native species. The man plans on planting another 60 types in upcoming years.

]]>https://www.thebetterindia.com/116751/10-years-400-trees-how-one-man-is-bringing-back-navi-mumbais-green-cover/feed/0https://www.thebetterindia.com/116751/10-years-400-trees-how-one-man-is-bringing-back-navi-mumbais-green-cover/When a Grenade Landed on a J&K Cop, His Quick-Thinking Saved 10 Liveshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/vbFK3-L38Ic/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116746/grenade-landed-jk-cop-quick-thinking-saved-10-lives/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 09:05:07 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116746What would you do if a grenade landed on your lap? Most definitely, you will panic and drop it, getting risk being seriously hurt, if not killed.

But one quick-thinking cop didn’t.

A 21-year-old special police officer (SPO), who was part of a joint CRPF-J&K police squad at Batpora chowk, Sopore, was sitting in a mobile bulletproof bunker van on Sunday. He and his fellow mates were about to leave for a regular operation.

However, around 9:37 am a militant approached their bunker and threw a grenade at them, which dropped on the cop’s lap, reports The Times of India.

But the 21-year-old didn’t panic.

He carefully grabbed the grenade and tossed it away on the road. Meanwhile, another SPO immediately shut the door of the bunker van, saving all ten troopers.

“The grenade exploded on the road immediately after the SPO threw it. One constable and another SPO had minor injuries. But if he (the 21-year-old cop) had not displayed such deftness and panicked, the grenade might have fallen on the floor of the bunker causing devastating damage,” IG (Operations), CRPF, Zulfikar Hasan, told TOI.

The publication did not name the two SPOs due to security reasons.

A cash reward of ₹25,000 was awarded to the 21-year-old cop, and the other SPO who had shut the bunker van’s door received ₹10,000 for their quick-thinking.

]]>https://www.thebetterindia.com/116746/grenade-landed-jk-cop-quick-thinking-saved-10-lives/feed/0https://www.thebetterindia.com/116746/grenade-landed-jk-cop-quick-thinking-saved-10-lives/This Dasara, 28 Women Tried Their Hand at Arm Wrestling in Mysuru!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBetterIndia/~3/lMRmpr06MwA/
https://www.thebetterindia.com/116727/mysuru-dasara-arm-wrestling-women/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 07:22:53 +0000https://www.thebetterindia.com/?p=116727The Dasara celebrations in Mysuru took an interesting turn this year when 28 women participated in an arm wrestling contest organised there on Monday.

Though such contests have been taking place for the last two years, this was the first time they were awarded prize money – making the sport officially part of the Dasara celebrations in Mysuru henceforth.

The participants took part in seven different categories according to their weight, which ranged from 50kg to 80kg.

“The popularity of arm wrestling among women is expected to increase in the coming years. Most women were not acquainted with the sport. Now, after witnessing bouts this year, more are expected to participate in the coming years,” D. Ravi Kumar, convenor of the Dasara Wrestling Sub-Committee, told The Hindu.

Most women participants of the contest were professional wrestlers.

Picture for representation only.

One of them was national wrestling champion Rita Priyanka, who won the contest in the 65kg category. She said that the reason behind the great turnout for the contest was that both wrestling and arm wrestling was held at the same venue, unlike the previous years.

Her father told the publication that he got his daughter into wrestling as his son refused to be part of it. He said that Rita had been participating in wrestling competitions for more than ten years now – a time when it was considered not even the last career choice for women.

The Hindu also reported that Lina Antony, a member of the Siddi tribe from Doddakoppa in Uttar Kannada district, was also part of the arm wrestling contest. She belongs to a tribe whose ancestors have been traced to Africa.